The present invention relates in general to swimming pool skimmers that are constructed and arranged to collect surface debris from a swimming pool or similar body of water. More specifically, the present invention relates to a remote controlled swimming pool skimmer.
Swimming pool skimmers have been in use for a number of years as one way to remove surface debris from a body of water. When swimming pools are exposed to nearby deciduous trees and similar vegetation that has a tendency to discharge leaves, seedlings, and other debris, these items can fall into the swimming pool or can be swept into the swimming pool by wind. If not removed promptly, these items of debris typically sink to the bottom of the pool. Debris on the bottom of the pool is more difficult to remove and if not removed, may interfere with the swimming pool filtering system. In the simplest form, such surface debris can be removed from the pool by a net at the end of a long pole. However, this particular approach requires some degree of strength and coordination and constitutes an unpopular chore. While swimming pool services can perform this task for the owners, that comes at an added cost.
There have been proposals in the past for automatic pool skimmers having some type of buoyant vessel supporting a porous basket. These structures are specifically designed for collecting leaves and other surface debris as the skimmer is propelled through the water, skimming across the surface of the water. However, many of these earlier devices have the disadvantage of having to free themselves when they go into the side of the pool. In addition, some of these prior devices present cumbersome and awkward structural arrangements for removing debris and/or the porous basket.
While the present invention is described in the context of a swimming pool, the problems and issues described above also exist, at least to some degree, for small man-made lakes and other similar bodies of water where the debris falls along the shoreline. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to providing certain improvements and benefits for such automatic pool skimmers in the form of a device that is remotely controlled, providing another advantage and convenience to the user.